They got the job done by scoring six runs in the first three innings and riding a solid pitching performance from junior Kevin Tracey for an 7-2 victory against No. 16 Texas in front of 6,004 fans at Disch-Falk field.

Tech (34-9 overall, 14-5 Big 12) powered past Texas (28-16, 13-7) by using three home runs and some key two-out hits, keeping the Raiders' conference title hopes alive and making today's 1 p.m. series finale here even bigger.

Woodcock

''In this league, any time you can pick one up on the road it's huge,'' Hays said. ''I kind of liked the way we came back today and battled pretty well. That's the thing about this team, when something bad happens, you better not give up on them because they're liable to come back the next day and play pretty well, and they did that (Saturday).''

But not before an emotional first inning set the tone for the afternoon. After Tech plated a run in the first inning, Tracey threw one pitch in the bottom of the frame when shortstop Lance Woodcock charged toward the Tech dugout while pointing in the stands.

Hays said Woodcock saw a Texas fan take a swing at his father, Brian, who had flown in from California for the game. Woodcock had to be restrained by Hays and several teammates while security guards broke up the melee in the stands.

The pro-Texas crowd responded by booing Woodcock in his first plate appearance, but he quickly silenced them by singling and scoring in the second and homering in the third as Tech built a 6-0 lead. He also made the game-ending play in the bottom of the ninth when he fielded Ben Emond's grounder and dove to the second-base bag to get Jason Aspito for the final out.

''It fired me up,'' Woodcock said about the crowd reaction.

Tech's offensive burst in the first three innings helped the Raiders reclaim the momentum lost after the Longhorns ninth-inning rally and 5-4 victory Friday.

''For me where the story starts was Tech coming back after being left on the field (Friday) night with a very focused attitude and good approach to the game,'' Texas coach Augie Garrido said. ''They battled hard in the first three innings and they got rewarded.''

All the while Tracey (9-1) cruised, holding the Longhorns hitless for 42/3 innings. Texas' first run of the game came when Sam Anderson walked leading off the fifth and scored on Emond's single to center, cutting the Tech lead to 6-1.

In almost a complete role reversal from Friday, the Raiders were the ones making plays offensively and driving in runs. Tracey, while not always pretty, got the job done, scattering two runs on five hits with four walks and three strikeout in 71/3 innings.

''You've got to look at the results,'' Hays said of Tracey's performance. ''The results are good but the process kills me. He was never ahead on hitters, he walks guys, hits guys. Here I am running him down and what's his record? You got to go on his numbers, and an old guy like me's got to live through it.''

Tech jumped on Texas early by getting crucial two-out hits.

Josh Bard, who has been battling stomach illness since arriving in Austin, opened the scoring when he snuck a ball over the third-base bag for a double, scoring Ryan Ruiz, who had singled, from first. Texas then helped the Tech cause in the second with two errors by second baseman Tommy Nicholson. Both runners eventually scored on RBI singles by Marco Cunningham and Ruiz.

Tech then used the long ball to boost the lead with a three-run third. Chaz Eiguren walked with one out and came home on David O'Keeffe's opposite-field home run to right. After Scott Holzhauer flied to left field, Woodcock made it 6-0 with another homer to right.

After Texas closed to within 6-1, Eiguren pushed the lead to 7-1 in the eighth with his fourth homer of the year, also an opposite-field shot to right. UT added a run in the bottom of the inning but could get no closer.

The announced attendance of 6,007 for Saturday's game was the largest crowd of the year at Disch-Falk Field, which has a capacity of 6,649. It is also the largest crowd for a home Texas game since 6,398 packed the stands for Texas A&M last year.

Leadoff hitter Ben Emond leads the Longhorns with 20 multi-hit games this year.

With a stolen base in Friday's loss, Tech's Ryan Ruiz broke a tie for both the team and Big 12 lead with teammate Marco Cunningham. Ruiz now leads Cunningham 30-29 on the season.

David O'Keeffe's home run in the third inning was his first since Feb. 23 at New Mexico, spanning 43 at-bats and 51 plate appearances. Lance Woodcock's was his first since Iowa State earlier this month.

Tech head coach Larry Hays is now just five wins away from No. 500 as coach of the Red Raiders and is 10 away from earning career victory No. 1,200. Should he do so he would be just the eighth coach in collegiate history to win 1,200 or more.